Screw driver



Sept. 19, .1950' H. H. MCKENZIE R E 2,523,041

` SCREW DRIVER Filed March 3, 1948 Patented Sept. l?, 1950 UNITED STATES y .PATENT OFFICE s oREw DRIVER t Hugh H. Mexnzie'norfbik, va.

Application March 3, 1948, Serial No.712,7189n The present invention relates to a manually actuated tool of the type adapted to be rotated for turning a screw, nut or the likeA and the invention more specifically pertains to the structural features of the shaft and handle of such tools 'whereby a lever or wrench may be employed in association with `the device toincrease the' torque that may be manually applied to the tool shaft.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tool such as a screwdriver with a lever or wrench receiving portion 'whereby a mechanical advantage is obtained `for turning the shaft or blade A'with the handle serving as a bearing for steady- 'ingthe upper end of the shaft during `rotation Vthereof by lever action.

Another object of the invention is to provide al fproceeds and upon Iconsideration of the follow-` ing detailed description and the accompanying vdrawing wherein an exemplary embodiment of .7 the invention is disclosed. yIn the drawing: y y

. Fig. 1 is a side elevational view `of a screwdriver exhibiting the invention with a portion 5 of the handle shown in section.

Fig. 2 .is a plan view of .the upper end of the tool shaft illustrating the manner in which a ratchet wrench may be applied thereto. y

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the tool shaft. 1 1Fig..r4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a ,sleevecthat may be employed within the handle.

- Fig. `5 is an end View of the sleeve showing the shape of the mouth.A

9 Claims. (Cl. 145-65) funolded `around the sleeve I2. has flatfacesv I4y on the exterior and the lower 'portionthereof to prevent relative rotation of manualliT operated tool provided with a handle and an elongated stem or shaft which is rotated `for-turning nuts, bolts, screws or the like. The enfibodimentl shown in the drawing pertains tora screwdriver but it will be apparent that the blade' portion or the lower end of the shaft I@ may'bereplaced with a socket for engaging nuts, bolts', or the like. The shaft at the upper end thereof is designed for cooperation with a handle Vwhich in one instance, serves as'a bearing jourmetal sleeve I2 may be arranged within the handle as shown in Fig. 1.

The sleeve I2 is formedI of any suitable metal and if the handle II is formed of plastic, this material may be The sleeve I2 the handle shell relative to the sleeve l2. If desirable, additional or other means may be 'provided'for preventing `rotation of the handle `shell relative Vto the sleeve I2.` 'may also be provided with means for preventing` The assembly the sleeve from being removed longitudinally of the handle shell. If the handle is formed of metal),l the .sleevey l2 maybe omitted and the shaft-receiving socket hereinafter further de- ,scribedg may beformed in the metal handle.

.'In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the sleeve' I2 ,is provided with a cylindrical shaped This `portion i 'I the portion I'I may be readily moved longitudinally of .the` handle. The diameter of the socket The vpresent invention is directedto a tool L"wherein a vratchet wrench or other suitable lever fmay; be Varranged inengaged `relation with the "tool'shaft Vso that more force may be applied for turning fthe' shaft. The invention is par- ''tic'ularly applicable to Screwdrivers but the fea- ;-tures thereof may be incorporated in other tools portion 'than fthe. shaft portion I1. provided with a larger bore I8 which may be cy- ',lindrical o1;A other shape, as long as the cross sec- '.-tion of this .part of the opening is large enough 'toi 'accommodate a wrench or lever engaging .portion I9 on the stem or shaft I0. .ferred'.form,the enlarged opening I8 is `cylin- :dr-ical v'shapedrand *ofV largerdiameter than the greatest cross` sectional dimension of the shaft 'portion'. I9. `The length of the enlarged bore I8 "sirenas-socket wrenches, tap Wrench or ianys55is LtubstantialIy equal tol the axiallength ofthe I6 is` accordingly only slightly larger The sleeve I2 is In a preshape to fit within a similar shaped recess 2l `in^ A the mouth of the handle or sleeve I2. arrangement depicted in the drawing, the por- .In futher.

tion V and the recess 2| are polygonalslrapedi f and each may be hexagonal in cross-section. `.It

will be understood that other cross sectional shapes may be employed for the Walls `oieth'evrea4 cess 2| and for the flat faces of the enlarged portion20.

The portion I9 -is provided forv the purposefof applying lever Yaction to 4the'shaft I0. Accordingly, this portion may bef-formedto have .twoor more -flat facesand in tthe embodiment shown-in the drawing,'thisnpart of the'y shaft is squarefin cross section for receiving Va conventional v.type ratchet wrench as shown in phantomlinesin Figs. land 2. rThe ratchet wrench may -beof the reversable type so that it isnnnecessary -tov removethe fwrench for applying forcelin either direction-of rotation of the shaft Ii'I.` It is to be noted that other wrenches or. lever arms may beemployedin .association .with-the tool shaft andthe 'portion I9 may be so shaped-asatol-be operativelyengageo by suchlevers .or .vvrenches..l

In use-:of the devicethe Atool shaft .I0 maybe deta-chedfrom the handle .II and thesupper end I'I `may then be introduced .through the. aperture in the ratchet lwrench 25. The customary square hole inthe. -rotor of the :ratchet: wrench is-'then fitted..over the square portionl ISof the .tool

jshaft. Thereafterv the upper .end.portion..-I.1of the shaft is :insertedfinthe socket I6 ofthe han- `.cylindrical portion I'I.'

is in a conventional manner retained in operative association withthe -cylindrical part I'I of the shaft ad its actuating spring. The groove 22 is so positioned longitudinally of the device that the ball 23 enters this annular depression when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l. The upper end I I of the tool shaft is then free to turn in the socket opening of the handle but the ball 23 prevents unintentional escape of the from the socket4 opening and the handle.

If it is desired to use the tool as a conventional screw-driver, the shaft is withdrawn from the handle. The ball 23 is then depressed and rides on the Wall of the opening I6 as the shaft is pulledfr'om the handle. The socket wrench 25 is f removed `from the square portion I9 and from the -enlarged borev I- and fthe flat. faces-.ofthe hexagsonali shaped recess -2I:.

oraal-,portion 29 are lintroduced intothe `hexag- V'Ihe: shaft I0 isfthereby `keyedlto. the handle and manual rotation of the i,hand grip-.will turn the shaft I0. The tool -may ,then-.be -used like a `conventional s-crewdriver.

In order lto releasably retain the parts in this ,assembledfrelationshipr a further annular groove 24 is arranged in they wall of the opening I6.

Thisannular .groove is so.v positioned lengthwise of leasably.retainedin a Yposition. where rthe .flat

faces of tli'keying'portionlllwillengage the flat walls `of the recess 2|.

While the invention has *beenV described with reference .to ascrewdriver, ,otherV types. of tools ,xmas/be substituted ,for the blade shapedlolwer end ofthe shaft IIJ. vSuch changes. and modifica.-

dleand moved upwardly therein to .thepositiongw shown inFig. .1.' The upper .end of .the 4square portion I9 .then extends'. into the .recess 2I1but there is..no keying. of the shaft I0 .to the. handle or..sleeve .I2 since. the crosssectionof .th .recess V2| islarge enoughfto. permit the .portionIQ' 'to turn therein. This arrangement, however, pre- 'vents the ratchet vwrench-25 from becoming disto the :portion IS.. Thisf retaining l.nreansis Ldesigned itc .i prevent unintentional: fsep'aration :of ithefto'ol stemrfromw-the handle `and atthe same time .permit :free rotation of ftheshaftw-ithin the handle .II.. `.011ectypelof.such'fretainingmeans includes an annulacegrooveiZZ formediinithefwall of; the-opening 1116.. .At-'spring ,actuatcdioallzs kcarried :by :the-guppen end ofthe. shaft asfshown in .-Fig. 3. This ballrmay :laeidepressed.againstfthe v' Patent is:

l. Ina tool, ahandle having a cylindrical shaped .opening therein, a ,tool shaft having a cylindrical rshaped ien'd portion extending into said opening, said handle having a recess at the mouth .of the 'opening nan'dof larger cross section than said cylindrical opening, at least one flat surface forming a'wall of; said recess; a flat surface carried by saidtool shaft'for engaging thefiatsurface4 ofsaijd-recess to prevent rotation *ofthe toolshaft'relative-to saidhandlei' said handle having anannulargroove'iwithin said cylindrical opening- `arranged ina plane-atright angles-"to lthe axis offthefcylindr'lcal opening,` a detent carried' .by-tha periphery of the cylindrical any portion of said annular groove when `the -flat surfaceronithef tool shaft is' :positioned :with- .'shapedfiopening .1;therein, `a :tool shaft' 4'hav-ing a cylindrical v'shaped endwfportion :extending into eaid'iopenina :sa-idhandle.- having a Vrecess at the' mou-.th of the-.opening and of. largcr..cr0sssec tion than said cylindrical'fopening, atleast one flat surface forming afwall. ofl said:reces S-.a:flat ,surfacecarnied 5a'd.;tool shaft forv engagingthe'l actionofa :spring .(not. shown) and theball v.23; 75 fiat surfaeeaoffsaidg-recess[to preventlrotation-.of

' v3. In a tool, a handle having a cylindrical shaped opening therein, a tool shaft having a cylindricalshaped end portion extending into said opening, said handlehaving a recess at the mouth of the opening and of larger 'cross section than said'cylindrical opening, at least one flat surface-*forming a Wall of said recess, afiat surface carried by said tool shaft for engaging thefflat surface of said recess to prevent rotation of the tool shaft relative to said handle, said cylindrical opening having an annular groove inthe Wall thereof, a releasable detent carried by said cylindrical shaped end portion of the shaft engaging the cylindrical Wall Within said groove and maintaining the fiat surface of the shaft in operative association with the flat Wall surface of the recess.

4. In a tool, a handle having a cylindrical shaped opening therein and a larger cylindrical shaped opening near the end of the handle, polygonal flat surfaces at the end of said second opening defining a recess of larger cross section than either of said cylindrical openings, a tool shaft having a cylindrical shaped end portion extending into the first opening in. rotatable journalled relationship with the handle, a polygonal shaped portion of said tool shaft for being engaged by a wrench and of smaller cross sectional area than the second cylindrical opening, and a second polygonal shaped portion on said a second polygonal shaped portion on said tool shaft adapted to engage thev polygonal at surfaces dening said recess for preventing rotatool shaft adapted to engage the polygonal flat f opening definingv a recess of larger cross section thaneither of said cylindrical openings, a tool shaft havingv a cylindrical shaped end portion tion of the handle relative to the tool shaft, said cylindrical shaped opening having an annular groove therein, and a spring pressed ball carried by the cylindrical end portion of the tool shaft for engaging said annular groove.

7. In a screwdriver, a handle having a cylindrical shaped opening therein, a tool shaft having a cylindrical shaped end portion extending into said opening' for journalled relation therein, an annular groove in the Wall of said opening, a spring pressed ball carried by the periph- `ery of the tool shaft engaging said annular groove and releasably retaining the tool shaft in a fixed position longitudinally of the handle, a lever arm receiving portion carried by said tool shaft adjacent the end of the handle, and a poi'- tion of larger cross sectional dimension than said lever arm receiving portion on said tool shaft.

8. In a manually operable tool, a handle having a cylindrical shaped opening therein and a larger cylindrical shaped opening at the end of the first opening and adjacent an end of the handle, said handle having a hexagonal shaped recess at the end of the second opening and terminating at the end of the handle defining a recess of larger cross lsection than the second cylindrical opening, a tool shaft having a cylindrical shaped end portion extending into the first opening in rotatable journalled relationship within the handle and slidable therein, a wrench engaging portion on said tool shaft substantially square in cross section and smaller in cross sectional dimensions than the diameter nf the s-econd cylindrical opening, an enlarged portion on the tool shaft hexagonal in cross section adapted to enter said recess for preventing rotation of the handle relative to the tool shaft, and

f releasable means within the first cylindrical extending into the first opening in rotatable journalled relationship with the handle, a polygonal shaped portion on said tool shaft for being engaged `by a Wrench and of smaller cross sectional area than the second cylindrical opening, a second polygonal shaped portion on said tool shaft adapted to engage the -polygonal flat surfaces defining said recess for preventing rotation of the handle relative to the tool shaft, and releasable means retaining the tool shaft in a position with the second polygonal shaped portion out of engagement with the flat walls of said recess.

6. In a tool, a handle having a Vcylindrical shaped opening therein and a larger cylindrical shaped o pening near the end of the handle, po-

lygonal flat Vsurfaces at the end of said second opening retaining the tool shaft in position with the enlarged hexagonal portion thereon out of engagement with the hexagonal recess.

9. In a manually operable tool, a handle having a cylindrical shaped opening therein, a tool shaft having a cylindrical shaped end portion extendingv into said opening for journalled rotation therein and slidable axially of the handle, said opening having an annular groove therein, a spring-pressed member carried by the cylindrical shaped end portion of the tool shaft engaging said annularv groove and releasably maintaining the tool shaft in a fixed position longitudinally ofthe handle, a Wrench receiving portion carried by the tool shaft substantially square in cross section and extending into the opening in the handle, and a portion on the tool shaft of larger cross sectional dimension than lsaid square portion defining the end of the square wrench receiving portion.

HUGH I-I. MCKENZIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

